Devices for attracting and destroying biting insects are well known in the art. While the prior art devices have employed a number of mechanisms and materials to attract insects, such as for example, heat, light, odor emitting substances, pheromones, kairomones and various chemicals, more recently it has been discovered that carbon dioxide alone or with other attractants such as octenol is particularly effective in attracting such insects. As examples of devices employing carbon dioxide and octenol are those devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,205,064 and 6,055,766.
Researchers in the field of entomology have discovered that biting insects such as midges, biting flies and mosquitoes are attracted to blood hosts by the odor of kairomones, which are chemicals given off by the blood host and are attractants to such biting insects. Such kairomones include carbon dioxide exhaled by both avian and mammalian blood host and octenol, an alcohol which is given off by mammalian blood hosts. Mosquitoes and biting flies can detect the odor of carbon dioxide given off by a blood host at distance of approximately 90 meters. Biting insects locate a blood host by tracking the carbon dioxide plume created by a blood host. It has been discovered that a mixture of carbon dioxide and octenol is especially attractive to insects seeking mammalian blood hosts.
In the apparatus and devices heretofore proposed for attracting and/or destroying biting insects, the apparatus and devices rely upon a pressurized canister charged with carbon dioxide or propane/natural gas to generate carbon dioxide, or octenol and, preferably both carbon dioxide and octenol, with or without other semiochemicals or other attractants, to supply the attractant materials to the apparatus or device. However, there are various disadvantages associated with the use of such canisters. Among those disadvantages is the fact that the canister generally is very limited in size and need to be constantly replaced. With the need for replacement the apparatus and device cannot readily be placed in remote locations without the necessity for frequent trips to the location for canister monitoring and replacement. It would therefore be quite beneficial for a reduced amount of carbon dioxide that needs to be provided for effective attraction of biting insects, and to generally improve attraction of existing devices.